The outcome of liberalisation policies adopted by governments in India is tremendous growth in trade sector and foreign investment. The simplification and streamlining of procedures, improving efficiency, focusing on quality and technological upgradation has become integral part of the liberalisation strategy. The need for introduction of EC/EDI is recognised as the most cost-and-technology-appropriate solution to many of the problems faced by trade so as to make regulators behave as facilators.

Department of Commerce has taken a number of steps to promote and implement EC/EDI in India. It was decided that for promoting the use of EC/EDI in the area of international trade, all the regulating and facilitating departments and organisations like Customs, DGFT, Port Trusts, Airports Authority of India, Scheduled Banks, RBI, CONCOR etc.., involved in the various aspects of international trade in India need to offer their services via EC/EDI with an objective to bring the overall transaction time to international level.

Project Objectives
To provide a system wherein trade documents especially related to import/export require single submission to any of regulating / facilitating agencies
Internetworking of all community partners for electronic document exchange
Electronic document filing/exchange facility by every regulating / facilitating agency to importers / exporters / agents / shipping lines etc.,

List of organisations selected for EC/EDI implementation

• Customs
• DGFT
• Port Trusts
• Airports
• Container Corporation
• Banks
• RBI
• Airlines
• Apparel / Textile Export Promotion Councils
• Indian Railways
• Export Promotion Organisations
• DG Commercial Intelligence / Statistics
• Inland Container Depots / Container Freight Stations